Hinge



E. W. NORTH July 14, 1936.

HINGE Filed Sept. 4, 1934 2 Sheets-Shet 1 July 14, 1936. E, W. NORTH 2,047,909

HINGE Filed sept. 4, 1954 2 sheets-'sheet 2 Patented .uly 14, 1936 UNHTED STATES HINGE Edwin W. North, Rockford, Ill., assignor to National Lock Co., Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application September 4, 1934, Serial No. 742,561

4 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to an improved hinge designed particularly for the hinging of a refrigerator door though susceptible of other uses. The hinge is of a type such as to provide an exceedingly neat fitting, contributing to simplicity of design and pleasing appearance of the exterior of a refrigerator, while it is also of practicable and reliable construction and advantageous for manufacturers as a specialty.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, and will be more particularly pointed out and defined in the claims following the description.

In said drawings:

Flg. 1 represents a hinge embodying the invention applied to a refrigerator, this view being a horizontal section of the hinge, taken on the line I- I of Fig. 3, and a portion of the refrigerator door and the jamb member or corner post of the refrigerator cabinet to which the door is hinged being indicated in dotted lines.

Fig. 2-is a top plan View of said hinge.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of said hinge.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a hinge tip or pintle cap.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a U-shaped cover which goes over the hinge base.

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a hinge embodying the invention illustrating an ornamental form different from that shown in the preceding iigures.

Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a, front elevation of a hinge embodying the invention, illustrating another ornamental form.

Fig. 11 is a section on the line I II I of Fig. 10.

In Fig. 1, the numeral I designates a refrigerator cabinet and more particularly the jamb member or corner post thereof to which is hinged the refrigerator door 2 having the part 3 enclosed by the door frame portion of the cabinet and having a sealing strip 4 which is compressed between the door and the front side of the cabinet when the door is closed and latched.

The refrigerator door is hinged to the jamb 5o member by hinges embodying the invention and which may be, for example, of the specific form and design shown in Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive.

Referring to said fFigs. 1 to 7, the hinge therein illustrated comprises a door leaf 5 and a 55 hinge base 6 to which the leaf is pivoted so as to swing on a vertical axis, the base 6 being attached to the jamb member I and the leaf 5.being attached to the door. Attaching screws for the respective parts are indicated at 'I and 8 in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the door leaf has the 5 several holes 9 for attaching screws, and as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the base 6 has the several holes IB for attaching screws.

The door leaf 5 is formed with projecting tubular pivot portions II, said tubular pivot por- 10 tions II being in alinement with pivot holes in the top and bottom of the hinge base 6 and pivotally connected therewith by the pins I2 having heads I3 fitted in said tubular pivot portions II. The hinge base 6 is shown as a flat bar having 15 top and bottom forwardly projecting lugs I4 and I5 in which are formed the holes receiving the pivot pins I2, said projecting lugs of the hinge base being embraced between the pivot portions II of the door leaf as is clearly apparent 20 from the drawings. After assembling the hinge base and door leaf, the pivot pins I2 are inserted through the tubular pivot portions I I of the leaf into engagement with the pivot holes in the top and bottom lugs I4 and I5 of the base. The 25 heads I3 of the pivot pins t tightly in the parts I I, so that the bottom pivot pin cannot drop' out. Said heads of the pivot pin may be vertically ribbed as shown and of harder metal than the metal of the parts I I, so that the said heads, be- 30 ing of such diameter as to require driving them through the parts II, will tightly engage said parts II by the biting of the ribs in the softer metal of the parts II. Y

The tubular pivot parts II of the door leaf are 35 enclosed and concealed by hinge tips I6 in the form of caps of sheet metal which are slipped over said parts after the two hinge members 5 and 6 are assembled and united by the pivot pins. Said caps are vertically slotted as indicated at 40 I'I in Fig. 6 to accommodate the at portions of the door leaf adjacent to the tubular portions I I. Said tips or caps I6 iit the tubular parts I I, and the open ends of the caps have their edges slightly sprung inwardly as indicated at I8 in Fig. 6 45 so that the tip or caps clasp the parts II tightly and will not easily become displaced.

The hinge base 6 is enclosed by a sheet metal U-shaped cover I9 which is shaped to fit and clasp the base, the edges being slightly sprung inwardly as indicated at 20 in Fig. 7 to retain the cover in place and prevent it from becoming accidentally displaced. The projecting lugs I4 and I5 are preferably rounded at their front ends 65 the cover;

Itjwill be apparent that the hinge construction is such as to provide an exceedingly neat and attractive fitting. Looking at the front of the refrigerator when the door is closed, the only visible part of the hinge is the slender vertical tubular housing enclosing the pintle portion of the hinge, namely the housing provided by the U- shaped base cover I9 and hinge tips or pintle caps I6. As shown in Fig. 3, these parts, as 'viewed when looking directly at the front of the refrigerator, may have the appearance of a single smooth tube with tapered closed upper and lower ends. There are no visible attaching screws or screw holes. 'Ihe hinge base appears as a slender bar tting directly against the outer side of the refrigerator cabinet, there being no projecting lugs or ears for attaching screws.

The hinge is of practicable and reliable construction, and can be economically manufactured. The door leaf may be made as a steel stamping, and its only exposed parts, namely the tubular parts II, are enclosed by brass or stainless steel tips. The hinge base can be made as a die casting, to reduce cost of manufacture, and it is practically concealed by the U-shaped cover which can be of brass or stainless steel, corresponding to the tips. The only exposed surfaces of the hinge base are at the top and bottom behind the tips I6, and such surfaces may be nished in the same color and finish as the cover and tips.

Only a slight vertical crevice shows between the door wing and the exposed tubular pintle portion of the hinge. In other words there is substantially no opening showing at the hinge joint,

which improves the appearance materially. The construction allows the swinging of the door to the full extent desired. Infact the hinge construction shown allows the door to swing more than After the hinge members 5 and 6 are assembled and united by the pins I2, and after the hinge is attached to the refrigerator cabinet and door, the base cover I9 and .hinge tips I6 can be applied. Both the cover and tips snap on easily after the hinge is mounted.

'Ihe exposed tubular part of the hinge may `have the smooth cylindrical form shown in Fig.

3, or may be made in various ornamental forms; that is to say the base cover I9 and the hinge tips I6 can beshaped in various ornamental forms. Two dierent ornamental designs are shown in Figs. 8 to l1. 'The mechanical construction of the hinges shown in these figures is the same as already described, and all the parts except the base cover and tips are designated by the same reference numerals as the corresponding parts in Figs. 1 to '7. However in Figs. 8 and 9 the tips are numbered IIa and the base cover |91; while in Figs. 10 and 11 the tips are numbered IIb and the base cover |91.

The invention is not limited to the specific embodiments shown. Changes may be made in form and details of construction, and also the tips and base cover may be in various other ornamental designs.

What I clairn as my invention, and desire to secure byA Letters Patent, is:

10 l. A hinge comprising a leaf provided with a plurality of knuckles, a base provided with bearing openings, pintles carried by said knuckles and extending into said openings to provide a pivotal connection between said leaf and base, and a plurality of tips each comprising a portion circular in cross section enclosing and frictionally engaging a knuckle, each tip being shaped to accommodate the portion of said leaf adjacent the knuckle and a cover concealing the base between said tips.

2. A hinge comprising a fiat central portion provided with screw openings and outwardly projecting end portions provided with bearing openings, a leaf equipped with spaced knuckles adapted to receive said base end portions between them, pintles providing a pivotal connection between the leaf knuckles and said end portions of the base, tip members each shaped to surround and enclose a knuckle, and a removable cover enclosing said base between said tips.

3..A hinge comprising a base having an outwardly projecting bearing portion at each end thereof, a leaf provided with knuckles spaced to 'receive said bearing portions between them, pintles pivotally connecting said knuckles to the bearing portions of said base, a. pair of structurally independent end tips each comprising a portion circular in cross section shaped to accommodate the adjacent portion of said leaf and to enclose and frictionally engage a knuckle thereof, and a U-shaped cover member adapted-to frictionally engage and enclose the bearing portions and the intermediate portion of said base between said tips.

4. A hinge comprising a at base provided with fastening screw openings and having forwardly projecting bearing portions, a leaf provided with knucklesaligned with the bearing portions of the base, pintles pivotally connecting said bearing portions and said knuckles, a hollow tip member surrounding and frictionally .engaging each knuckle, and a base cover comprising a U- shaped member adapted to t over said bearing portions of the base and to frictionally engage the base, said cover being disposed between said tips and cooperating therewith to present the appearance of a solid structure.

EDWIN W. NORTH. 

